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Abortion Trauma Symptoms

The symptoms will not necessarily appear at the same time, nor is it likely that an individual will experience the entire list. Some may occur immediately after an abortion and others much later. If you can identify with more than two of these symptoms, it could be that you are experiencing the after-effects of abortion. 

01 — Alcohol/Drug Abuse

02 — Denial

03 — Repeated Abortions

04 — Inability to Forgive

05 — Self-destructiveness

06 — Depression

07 — Anger/Rage

08 — Emotional Pain

09 — Intimacy Issues

10 — Grief/Sadness

11 — Low Self-esteem

12 — Suicidal Thoughts

13 — Anxiety

14 — Feelings of Loss

15 — Nightmares/Flashbacks

16 — Shame/Secrecy

17 — Regret/Guilt

18 — Isolation

 

Statistics & Information

Since 2004, If Not For Grace Ministries has helped hundreds of women, men, and extended family collectively heal from the pain and oppression of post-abortion symptoms. It is likely that 1 out of every 4 women you encounter has had an abortion. There have been more than 58 million abortions performed in the United States since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 [5].

  • Half of pregnancies among American women were unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion [1]

  • Twenty-one percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) ended in abortion.[2]

  • Seventeen percent of women obtaining abortions identify as Protestant, 13% as evangelical Protestant and 24% identify as Catholic.[3]

  • In 2011, 1.7% of women aged 15–44 have an abortion [2]. Half have had at least one previous abortion.[3]

  • 59% of abortions are obtained by women who have one previous birth. [3]

  • 12% of women who have an abortion are teenagers: Those 18-19 accounted for 8% of abortions; those aged 15-17 accounted for 3%; and teenagers younger than 15 for 0.2%. [3]

  • Women in their 20s account for 60% of all abortions: Women aged 20–24 obtained 34% of all abortions, and women aged 25–29 obtained 27%.[3]

  • At 2008 abortion rates, one in 10 women will have an abortion by age 20, one in four by age 30 and three in 10 by age 45.[4]

SOURCES 

1. Finer LB and Zolna MR. Shifts in intended and unintended pregnancies in the United States 2001–2008. American Journal of Public Health. 2014, 23(3): e1-e9.
2. Jones RK and Jerman J. Abortion incidence and service availability in the United States, 2011. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2014. 46(1):3-14
3. Jones J, Jones RK and Onda T. Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008. New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2016.
4. Jones RK and Kavanaugh ML. Changes in abortion rates between 2000 and 2008 and lifetime incidence of abortion. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2011, 117(6):1358-1366.
5. National Right to Life Educational Foundation. Abortion Statistics United States Data & Trends.
6. Ramah International. Abortion Recovery.